I'll See You In My Dreams
by jennalice
Summary: They haven't seen each other since regionals. Has Rachel forgiven and forgotten Jesse? What happens when they run into each other a couple years later? Will Jesse let the opportunity slip?


Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or any of its characters. If I did Jonathan would stay in the show forever and Jesse and Rachel would elope to Broadway.

* * *

They haven't seen each other since regionals. Rachel being the mature and good spirited girl she is, has tried to forgive (why should she?) and forget (how could she?). But she tries, and in her mind she decides that's almost as good. Jesse tries to cope with what he did (he had to win) but the guilt overcomes him every time (the look in her eyes). Moving on seems like the most rational solution, and that's what they plan on doing. Hurt and guilt are very powerful emotions and they think of the emotional depth their performances will have.

Broadway is a big world, bigger than they had imagined. Jesse's words resonate in her head every night and though it's almost a taboo to think of him, she believes his words- she will make it, it's an inevitability after all. He thinks of her too. He thinks of the words he told her and likes to imagine Rachel under a big spotlight playing the part of Laurey. He lied to her, yes, but this he had meant it. Rachel Berry being a great Broadway star is an inevitability (he also likes to imagine himself there by her side, after all it's his fantasy)

They see each other briefly one day- she quickly discards the idea and blames her subconscious for making her watch a certain someone. "He's in LA" she tells herself but her words don't sound as convincing as they did in her mind. Jesse stands there looking like a stunned idiot for about five minutes before continuing his walk, but the idea of her being there too is too good to let it pass. He starts looking for her in every petite brunette he sees and after weeks of looking for her, he finds her. She's even more beautiful than he remembers.

Following is the best idea that comes to mind and that's exactly what he does. He almost lost her a couple times but he's now there in front of Rachel's building, looking at her searching for her keys and he admits to himself, _he's nervous_. He had thought of what he would say to her if he ever saw her again but every coherent thought seems to have escaped his mind. He's always been good at improvising.

He walks up to her looking as confident as he can be in this situation. "Fancy meeting you here, Rachel Berry." His voice is as smooth as she remembers.

Her mind is blank for what it feels like ages. "Jesse St. James" she mutters, and suddenly her keys are the most interesting objects in the world. "I thought you were in LA" she says finally facing him.

He almost gets lost in those big brown eyes of her when he realizes it's his turn to speak. "I was," he pauses for the dramatic effect, ""I moved here after graduating."

She tries not to watch his lips as he speaks and says a simple "Oh" when he stops. "I guess I'll see you around." She gives him her best show face and feels like she can breathe normally again when she steps into the lobby of the building. That feeling doesn't last long.

He runs and steps right in front of her and his poker face almost falls when she bumps into him. It's hard to not smile at this and the surprised look she gives him when he asks her if she'd take a coffee with him.

Without noticing she says "sure" and asks herself what just happened while they walk to the nearest Starbucks.

Neither of them knows how to start the conversation. They send each other some awkward glances before he breaks the silence. "So Juilliard, huh" he says with a warm smile, and she can't help but smile back at him when she tells him, "You remember." The smile reaches her eyes and _that spark_ is back there. "How could I forget?"

She didn't remember how _easy_ it is to talk to Jesse St. James, and how good it _feels_. They talk for hours, and when they look outside it's already dark. He stands up and offers her a hand. "Come on, I'll walk you home." They make the way to her apartment but this time their walk isn't filled with an uncomfortable silence, and she _almost_ wishes she could stay a little longer with him.

They reach her entrance and he toys with the idea of kissing her. Give her an epically breathtaking kiss, the kind that only happens in movies and _their _own little world. He quickly dismisses the idea. "Would you have lunch with me tomorrow?" He asks her. She gives him an almost apologetic look before telling him she can't, "My dads are visiting me this week. I'm picking them up at JFK tomorrow."

He can almost taste the feeling of having Rachel Berry back in his life, and he won't give _that_ up so easily. "What about next week?" She stands there in silence for about a minute before she starts nodding and giving him that smile _again_. "I'll call you." He says and before leaving he gives her a chaste kiss on the cheek. The electricity they feel in that moment lingers.

Jesse finds himself lucky he had an audition for Sweeney Todd in two weeks. If he hadn't, he probably would have gone mad trying to not stalk Rachel like that creep who followed her in high school (he followed her home after all).

Rachel spent all week wondering if it had been a good idea to take Jesse's invitation. Yes, she did have a great time with him and yes, maybe this is what she needs to finally have closure; but she still isn't sure.

She wakes up with a smile that morning. She takes that as a sign she made the right choice.

They arrive almost at the same time to the small restaurant Rachel had picked, "You're still punctual, I see" she says approvingly. They order their foods and that silence is there again. Jesse has a speech prepared and he's waiting for the right moment. But how does one know when is the right moment? He'll just rip it like a band aid.

"Rachel" he starts, before being interrupted by their waiter bringing their drinks. "Rachel, I- you have no idea how much I regret how everything ended between us. I acted like a real dick. It wasn't supposed to be like that."

"Then how was it supposed to be?" she says in almost a whisper, but with a defiant look in her eyes. He swallows before continuing, "It wasn't all lies. Us meeting was a coincidence. It wasn't until I told Shelby I had a date with you things got complicated. I couldn't say no to her plan, Rachel, she's done so much for me. So I started to take it as an acting exercise but things didn't work out that way. My so-called feelings became real, and before I knew it, I was in too deep."

"I knew our relationship wasn't meant to last but I thought if you at least had your mother by your side, the hurt wouldn't have been so big. I have never been so disappointed at someone like when Shelby told me you didn't need her because you weren't a baby. I had to return to Vocal Adrenaline but I was upset. Upset that after everything Shelby had made me do, she would just give up on you. Upset at myself for letting all of this to get under my skin, and although I had no reason to be upset with you, I was. You single-handedly turned me into a caring person, Rachel Berry. I didn't want to see the look in your eyes when I ended things with you, that's why I came up with the Another One Bites the Dust number. But I still had to see that look, and it took everything I had to not run off the stage and hold you. You must know I had no participation in the egging plan Rachel, that was all them. They told me when we were on our way and I couldn't just back off; they would have made my life a living hell. I was selfish and immature, and for that I apologize. I've wanted to apologize since that fist egg hit you. We had a good thing and I threw it all away. I'm so sorry, Rachel." Jesse's eyes hadn't left Rachel's during his speech and he noticed her eyes were glistening with tears. He wanted to cup her face with in his hand but he knew he decided to wait for her to speak.

"Thank you" she said after a few minutes. "I really needed to hear that"

They eat their food in silence when Rachel suddenly breaks the silence, "I think we should try to be friends. I mean the past is the past and though I still haven't completely forgiven you, I don't see why we shouldn't. It's nice to have a friendly face here."

For the first time in years, Jesse St. James is speechless. But his face says everything, he has the biggest smile Rachel has ever seen and she can't help but smile with him. "Of course" he says before he and Rachel start one of their endless conversations.

A few weeks have passed since their conversation and things are good, but they've gotten awkward a couple times. Like that time they were watching West Side Story and his hand got under her skirt (he still defends his story he didn't notice). And that time she almost kissed him when he told her he'd gotten the lead in Sweeney Todd (it was the excitement of the moment!). They both wanted more and they knew it.

Jesse wanted Rachel, and he wanted all of her now. He loved what they had now but it was fucking hard having Rachel around in those short skirts and not being able to do anything. He wanted to call her 'his girlfriend' again. He wanted to kiss her whenever he felt like kissing her; he wanted to feel her arms around him, hell he just wanted to hold hands with her.

Rachel, on the other hand, had never been as undecided as she was now. All the feelings she had successfully buried were back again; and she wasn't sure if that was good or bad. He had apologized and she was in the process of forgiving him. She couldn't help but wonder if they could make it this time, without a secret plan with her mother, different glee clubs and a competition between them. Things were easy this time, and truth be told, she missed _them_.

Another week passed until it happened. They were in the middle of their weekly movie night and he couldn't help it. The kiss caught her by surprise, and before even thinking of stopping it, she found herself passionately returning the kiss.

Breathing brought her down to her senses. "I think I should be leaving" she said before picking up her things and practically running out of his apartment, leaving a very hot and bothered Jesse.

She received a text 30 minutes later.

_I was out of line, I'm sorry._

_Call me; we need to talk about this._

She calls him three days later.

"Rachel! I was going insane here. When can we meet? I really don't want to do this over the phone."

She breathes a couple of times before answering. "I can't today, but come over tomorrow. I'll cook us dinner"

Rehearsals end almost an hour later and when he rings Rachel's bell, he's out of breath and some curls are stuck to his forehead with sweat. "I'm so sorry I'm late. Rehearsals took a little longer today."

"Don't worry, you're just on time, I just finished everything." she says while she lets him in.

He goes to the kitchen and pours himself a glass of water. "What's the menu?"

"Just some pasta with pesto sauce, wine and my famous lemon pie." she says almost in a chant.

"It smells delicious."

Jesse waits for them to finish eating to talk with her. He knows now's the time and he won't let this opportunity pass.

"Rachel about the other day, I'm sorry for how things happened, but I don't regret kissing you" he looks at her before continuing, "I love having you in my life again but I want, no, I need more. I want all of you Rachel."

"Is this some kind of ultimatum Jesse?" she says and her left eyebrow rises.

"No! Look, Rachel, I just want to be with you again, and I know you want it too. You're the one holding the cards here." He takes a breath before continuing, "I want you to be a part of my life no matter what, but this is killing me Rach. I don't want to gives us up again."

He stands up and walks to her side, "Please don't take too long." He kisses her one more time before leaving.

She shows up at his doorstep the next morning.

He sleepily opens the door when she walks in and immediately starts speaking, "What you did last night was rude, Jesse. We're having a very lovely evening and you had to make things complicated! Shut it! I'm doing the talking now." She looks at him with defiant eyes and continues, "I thought things over and I decided we could rekindle our romance, but taking things slowly." She finishes with a small smile.

He feels like jumping. No, even better, he wants to shout in the rooftop or just burst into song with her, but he walks up to her and holds her just the way he's wanted to do for weeks. "You drive me insane Rachel, you know?"

"And you love it." She stands on her tiptoes and kisses him.


End file.
